Last edited by Spike on Fri Mar 04, 2011 9:33 pm; edited 1 time in total

Mon May 17, 2010 11:32 am

Spike

Joined: 19 Aug 2005Posts: 435

Post subject: Version2

Iran agrees Turkey nuclear deal

Iran has signed an agreement to send uranium abroad for enrichment after mediation talks in Tehran with Turkish and Brazilian leaders.

Iran's foreign ministry said it was ready to ship 1,200kg of low-enriched uranium to Turkey, in return for nuclear fuel for a research reactor.

Correspondents say the plan could revive a UN-backed proposal and may ward off another round of sanctions.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is calling on world leaders for new talks.

He said it was time for talks "with Iran based on honesty, justice and mutual respect".

The West, worried that Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb, has been pushing for stiffer sanctions against Iran. Tehran denies having a nuclear weapons programme.

The new deal does not address the central nuclear issues dealt with by successive UN Security Council resolutions, namely Iran's refusal to halt its enrichment programme and address questions about its past nuclear activities.

Iran says it will continue enriching uranium.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on Monday there had been progress in talks at the Security Council on fresh sanctions against Tehran, AFP news agency reported.

Whether this is a breakthrough or a device to try to stop further sanctions - currently being discussed - remains to be determined. On the plus side, it appears that Iran is still interested in swapping some of its low-enriched uranium for fuel rods for its medical research reactor in Tehran which is in need of replenishment.

Sending low-enriched uranium to Turkey would be a good first step but it does not solve the problem because Turkey cannot produce fuel rods. There therefore needs to be a further agreement with the countries that made an earlier offer to supply them - the US, Russia and France.

And these countries are likely to be very cautious as they fear that Iran will impose conditions that, for them, make a deal impossible.

And all this does nothing to resolve the underlying issue which is Iran's determination to continue with enrichment despite being ordered to stop by the Security Council.

"Turkey will be the place to keep Iran's 3.5% [low-enriched] uranium," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told a news briefing after foreign ministers signed the deal.

He said that 1,200kg would be shipped to Turkey, and that Iran would notify the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), "within a week".

Under the deal, Iran has said it is prepared to move its uranium within a month of its approval by the so-called Vienna Group (US, Russia, France and the IAEA).

In return, Iran says it expects within a year 120kg of more highly enriched uranium (20%), a purity well below that used in the manufacture of nuclear weapons.

The BBC's Tehran correspondent Jon Leyne, in London, says the agreement does not make clear whether Iran's low-grade uranium will be used to make the new fuel or just held as a kind of security deposit.

Our correspondent says Western governments will fear this is just a negotiating ploy designed to delay new sanctions.

Crucially, Turkey and Brazil are both on the UN Security Council so have a vote on those sanctions.

KEY POINTS OF THE DEAL
# Iran will notify the IAEA of the details of the agreement within a week
# If approved by the Vienna Group, Iran will ship 1,200kg of low-enriched uranium (LEU) to Turkey
# The LEU will remain the property of Iran while in Turkey
# Tehran and the IAEA may send observers to monitor its security
# The Vienna group must then deliver 120kg of nuclear fuel to Iran within a year
# Iran may request that Turkey return its LEU "swiftly and unconditionally to Iran

The Turkish Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, who spent 18 hours hammering out the deal with his Brazilian and Iranian counterparts, said there was now no need for more sanctions against Iran.

"The swap deal shows that Tehran wants to open a constructive path... there is no more ground for new sanctions and pressures," he said.

The US is in the final stages of negotiating a fourth sanctions package with other UN Security Council members.

This new deal will be examined in great detail and with a high degree of scepticism in foreign capitals, our Tehran correspondent says.

Iran backed out of a similar proposal last October citing disagreement about the details of the deal, which included a simultaneous swap, something the IAEA said was not feasible.

Iran's stocks are now thought to be much larger than the 1,200kg covered by the new agreement.

Israel was quick to react to the deal. The AFP news agency reported an unnamed official as accusing Iran of "manipulating" Turkey and Brazil to stave off further sanctions.

Both Russia and the US say the talks represent Iran's last chance to avoid harsher sanctions.

Iran has signed an agreement to send uranium abroad for enrichment after mediation talks in Tehran with Turkish and Brazilian leaders.

Correspondents say the plan could revive a UN-backed proposal and may ward off another round of sanctions.

But the BBC's Tehran correspondent says the deal will be viewed with scepticism in Western capitals, as Iran says it will continue enriching uranium.

Meanwhile, France has announced progress at the UN on fresh sanctions.

AFP news agency reported that Israeli officials were accusing Iran of manipulating Brazil and Turkey to stave off sanctions.

The West has long suspected that Iran's nuclear programme is aimed at making weapons - a charge Tehran denies.

Progress made?

Under the deal, Iran's foreign ministry said it was ready to ship 1,200kg (2,645lb) of low-enriched uranium to Turkey, in return for fuel for a research reactor.

The deal does not address the central nuclear issues dealt with by successive UN Security Council resolutions - namely Iran's refusal to halt its enrichment programme and address questions about its past nuclear activities.

The US reacted by saying it still had serious concerns over Iran's nuclear programme, although it did not reject the agreement.

KEY POINTS OF THE DEAL

# Iran will notify the IAEA of the details of the agreement within a week
# If approved by the Vienna Group, Iran will ship 1,200kg of low-enriched uranium (LEU) to Turkey
# The LEU will remain the property of Iran while in Turkey
# Tehran and the IAEA may send observers to monitor its security
# The Vienna group must then deliver 120kg of nuclear fuel to Iran within a year
# Iran may request that Turkey return its LEU "swiftly and unconditionally to Iran

It said the Iranian government "must demonstrate through deeds - and not simply words - its willingness to live up to international obligations or face consequences, including sanctions".

"While it would be a positive step for Iran to transfer low-enriched uranium off of its soil as it agreed to do last October, Iran said today that it would continue its 20% enrichment, which is a direct violation of UN Security Council resolutions," said a White House statement.

Russia welcomed the deal, although President Dmitry Medvedev said further talks were needed on Iran's nuclear programme.

During a trip to Ukraine Mr Medvedev said the fact that Iran apparently still intended to continue its own uranium enrichment would continue to concern the international community.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said there had been "some important progress" in talks at the Security Council on fresh sanctions against Tehran.

The UK, for its part, said work on a resolution about imposing new sanctions on Iran would continue until Tehran showed its intentions were peaceful.

The German government said that nothing could replace a deal between Iran and the UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called on world leaders for new talks "with Iran based on honesty, justice and mutual respect".

The EU's high representative for foreign affairs, Baroness Ashton, was ready to meet the Iranian authorities to find a "full and complete" solution to the stand-off, her spokesman said.

'Negotiating ploy?'

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva were at the talks in Tehran with Mr Ahmadinejad.

ANALYSIS

Paul Reynolds, world affairs correspondent, BBC News website Whether this is a breakthrough or a device to try to stop further sanctions remains to be determined.

On the plus side, it appears that Iran is still interested in swapping some of its low-enriched uranium for fuel rods for its medical research reactor in Tehran, which is in need of replenishment.

Sending low-enriched uranium to Turkey would be a good first step but it does not solve the problem, because Turkey cannot produce fuel rods. There therefore needs to be a further agreement with the countries that made an earlier offer to supply them - the US, Russia and France.

And these countries are likely to be very cautious as they fear that Iran will impose conditions that, for them, make a deal impossible.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said 1,200kg of low-enriched uranium would be shipped to Turkey, and that Iran would notify the IAEA "within a week".

Under the deal, Iran has said it is prepared to move its uranium within a month of its approval by the so-called Vienna Group (US, Russia, France and the IAEA).

In return, Iran says it expects to receive 120kg of more highly enriched uranium (20%) - a purity well below that used in the manufacture of nuclear weapons - within a year.

There has been a cool international response to Iran's announcement that it will send uranium abroad for enrichment after talks with Turkey and Brazil.

The UN and Russia said the move was encouraging, but the US expressed concern at Iran's statement that it would continue to enrich uranium.

The US and the UK said work on a UN resolution imposing more sanctions on Tehran would continue.

The West suspects Iran's nuclear programme is aimed at making weapons.

Iran insists it is solely designed to meet its energy needs.

Teheran hopes the new agreement - in which it would ship 1,200kg (2,645lb) of low-enriched uranium to Turkey in return for higher-grade nuclear fuel for a research reactor - would avert new sanctions.

Progress made?

In a deal brokered by Turkey and Brazil, Iran said it was prepared to move uranium within a month of its approval by the so-called Vienna Group (US, Russia, France and the IAEA).

By Barbara Plett BBC UN correspondent

A key part of the Western strategy has been winning international consensus for a new round of sanctions.

Russia and particularly China have been reluctant to support such a move, they may now want to further delay the process until they see what the deal means in practice.

Here the UN's nuclear monitoring agency, the IAEA, will be crucial: a positive response would lend the agreement significant credibility.

Even if that doesn't happen, Turkey and Brazil have to be taken into account.

They are both current members of the Security Council, and while they couldn't block a new sanctions resolution, they could split the vote, which is what Iran wants.

In return, Iran says it expects to receive 120kg of more highly enriched uranium (20%) - a purity well below that used in the manufacture of nuclear weapons - within a year.

The deal does not address the central nuclear issues dealt with by successive UN Security Council resolutions - Iran's refusal to halt its enrichment programme.

The US reacted by saying it still had serious concerns over Iran's nuclear programme, although it did not reject the agreement.

The US is in the final stages of negotiating a fourth sanctions package with other UN Security Council members.

It said the Iranian government "must demonstrate through deeds - and not simply words - its willingness to live up to international obligations or face consequences, including sanctions".

"While it would be a positive step for Iran to transfer low-enriched uranium off of its soil as it agreed to do last October, Iran said today that it would continue its 20% enrichment, which is a direct violation of UN Security Council resolutions," said a White House statement.

Russia welcomed the deal, although President Dmitry Medvedev said further talks were needed on Iran's nuclear programme.

'Constructive'

Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said there had been "some important progress" in talks at the Security Council on fresh sanctions against Tehran.

KEY POINTS OF THE DEAL
# Iran will notify the IAEA of the details of the agreement within a week
# If approved by the Vienna Group, Iran will ship 1,200kg of low-enriched uranium (LEU) to Turkey
# The LEU will remain the property of Iran while in Turkey
# Tehran and the IAEA may send observers to monitor its security
# The Vienna group must then deliver 120kg of nuclear fuel to Iran within a year
# Iran may request that Turkey return its LEU "swiftly and unconditionally to Iran

The UK, for its part, said work on a UN resolution would continue until Tehran showed its intentions were peaceful.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva were at the talks in Tehran with Mr Ahmadinejad.

Crucially, Turkey and Brazil are both on the UN Security Council, and so have a vote on those sanctions.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who spent 18 hours hammering out the deal with his Brazilian and Iranian counterparts, said there was now no need for more sanctions against Iran.

"The swap deal shows that Tehran wants to open a constructive path... there is no more ground for new sanctions and pressures," he said.

The major world powers have agreed on a "strong draft" of proposed sanctions against Iran, the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said.

The draft document will be circulated at the United Nations Security Council for ratification, she said.

The announcement comes a day after Iran made a deal with Turkey that would see nuclear material exchanged for enriched uranium in Turkey.

The deal was similar to one proposed by the West and its allies last year.

But news of Iran's deal with Turkey has been cooly received by the US and its allies.

"We have reached agreement on a strong draft with the co-operation of Russia and China," Mrs Clinton said of talks among the five permanent Security Council members - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - as well as Germany.

"We plan to circulate the draft resolution to the entire Security Council today," Clinton added in a text released by the US State Department of her comments she made to the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The major world powers have agreed on a proposal for new sanctions against Iran, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said.

A draft resolution will be circulated at the UN Security Council for ratification, she told the US Senate.

The announcement came a day after Iran made a deal with Turkey that would see nuclear material exchanged for enriched uranium in Turkey.

The deal was similar to one proposed by the West and its allies last year.

News of Iran's deal with Turkey was coolly received by the US and its allies.

Mrs Clinton said on Tuesday that a number of unanswered questions remained about the deal.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on the world to support it but said that if Iran did not ship out the uranium within one month, as agreed, then it would be on its own.

'Pressure on Iran'

"We have reached agreement on a strong draft with the co-operation of Russia and China," Mrs Clinton told the US Senate foreign relations committee after talks between the five permanent Security Council members - the US, UK, Russia, China and France - and Germany.

ANALYSIS
Jon Leyne, BBC Tehran correspondent

This is Washington's answer to what was widely seen as a last-minute attempt by Iran to head off new sanctions.

Indeed, in slightly triumphant tone, Hillary Clinton said it was as convincing an answer as it was possible to provide.

It appears that the two more sceptical big powers, Russia and China, have not been convinced by Iran's agreeement to ship out a large part of its stocks of enriched uranium to Turkey.

"We plan to circulate the draft resolution to the entire Security Council today," Mrs Clinton added.

The US and its Western allies believe Iran is trying to build a nuclear weapon, but Iran denies this.

Mrs Clinton said she had spent Tuesday morning on the phone with her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, "finalising the resolution".

Details were not immediately released but the sanctions are expected to broaden economic penalties on Iranian officials and institutions, the Associated Press news agency reports.

Russia and China have previously resisted calls for a new round of sanctions.

Talking about the Turkish deal, Mrs Clinton accused Tehran of trying to deflect pressure from the major powers.

"We don't believe it was any accident that Iran agreed to this declaration as we were preparing to move forward in New York," she said.

Plans for a fourth set of UN sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme are being circulated among all 15 members of the Security Council.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the five veto-wielding members had agreed on a "strong" draft resolution.

The measures foresee cargo ship inspections and new banking controls.

They come despite a recent deal in which Iran agreed to send low-enriched uranium to Turkey in return for enriched fuel for a research reactor.

But Mrs Clinton suggested Iran had been trying to deflect pressure.

ANALYSIS
Jon Leyne, BBC Tehran correspondent

This is Washington's answer to what was widely seen as a last-minute attempt by Iran to head off new sanctions.

Indeed, in slightly triumphant tone, Hillary Clinton said it was as convincing an answer as it was possible to provide.

It appears that the two more sceptical big powers, Russia and China, have not been convinced by Iran's agreeement to ship out a large part of its stocks of enriched uranium to Turkey.

For US officials the core issue was that Iran intended to continue enriching uranium, which the UN has banned, the BBC's Barbara Plett reports from New York

The Turkish deal, which Brazil helped to negotiate on Monday, was similar to one proposed by the West and its allies last year.

The members of the Security Council, which includes Turkey and Brazil, were holding a session behind closed doors on the resolution, but Brazil reportedly said it would not discuss the draft "at this point".

The US is quite confident of getting a majority of Council members behind the resolution although it may not get unanimity, our correspondent says. The vote is expected in June.

The sanctions, she adds, are not as strong as Western states would have wanted and some proposals were watered down by Russia and China.

China's UN Ambassador Li Baodong said on Tuesday that "the purpose of sanctions is to bring the Iranian said to the negotiating table".

"The sanctions are not for punishing innocent and should not harm normal trade," he added.

"That's why we agreed to accept the text on the whole after the long discussions and corrections of the initial proposals and we find it to be an appropriate one," Mr Churkin was quoted as saying by Russia's Itar-Tass news agency.

There have been three rounds of UN sanctions against Iran, blocking trade of "sensitive nuclear material", freezing the financial assets of those involved in Iran's nuclear activities, banning all of Iran's arms exports and encouraging scrutiny of the dealings of Iranian banks.

The US and its Western allies fear that Iran is secretly trying to build a nuclear bomb. Tehran says its programme is aimed solely at peaceaful energry use.

'New situation'

Proposals in the 10-page resolution include:

• A comprehensive new framework for cargo ship inspections both in ports and on the high seas if there is reason to suspect a ship is carrying conventional arms or nuclear missile items

Ali Akbar Salehi (file photo from 9 April 2010) Mr Salehi said the new UN resolution would discredit major world powers

The head of Iran's atomic energy organisation has said newly-proposed sanctions on Iran will backfire.

Ali Akbar Salehi said the sanctions would lead to the major world powers who back them being "discredited".

He is the highest-ranking Iranian official to speak since the proposals were tabled at the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday.

The proposals come just a day after Tehran agreed to trade uranium for ready-enriched fuel for a reactor.

"They won't prevail and by pursuing the passing of a new resolution they are discrediting themselves in public opinion," said Mr Salehi, who is also Iran's vice-president.

Plans for a fourth set of UN sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme were circulated among all 15 members of the Security Council on Tuesday.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the five veto-wielding permanent members had agreed on a "strong" draft resolution.
Nuclear weapon

The new draft was drawn up a day after Iran, Brazil and Turkey signed a deal in which Iran agreed to send low-enriched uranium to Turkey in return for enriched fuel for a research reactor.
Continue reading the main story

This [UN Security Council draft] resolution is the last effort by the West

A similar deal was suggested last year by the five permanent members of the Security Council - the US, France, UK, China and Russia - plus Germany, who have been negotiating with Iran over its nuclear programme.

They believe that Iran is trying to obtain a nuclear weapon, which Iran denies.

Placing Iran's nuclear material in a third country was intended to act as a confidence-building measure by the major world powers to prevent Iran producing more highly enriched, weapons-grade material.

Mrs Clinton had dismissed Iran's deal as an attempt to deflect pressure.

The new measures put before the UN foresee cargo ship inspections and new banking controls.

But Mr Salehi said talk of sanctions had "faded".

"This [UN Security Council draft] resolution is the last effort by the West," he told Iran's semi-official news agency, Fars.

"They feel that for the first time in the world developing countries are able to defend their rights in the world arena without resorting to the major powers an that is very hard for them," he said.

Iran is also preparing a letter for the UN atomic watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, officially notifying them of their deal with Turkey, Mr Salehi said._________________We don't want the looneys taking over...

Wed May 19, 2010 4:21 pm

Spike

Joined: 19 Aug 2005Posts: 435

Post subject: Version2

Brazil, Turkey urge delay in UN sanctions vote on Iran

Page last updated at 18:56 GMT, Wednesday, 19 May 2010 19:56 UK

Brazil and Turkey have urged fellow members of the UN Security Council to heed a deal they struck with Iran over its nuclear programme.

Both were disappointed by proposals for new sanctions tabled a day after Tehran agreed to trade uranium for ready-enriched reactor fuel.

Iranian officials said major powers would be "discrediting" themselves if they ignored the hard-won deal.

The US-drafted text is backed by all five permanent (P5) council members.

They believe that Iran is trying to obtain a nuclear weapon, which Iran denies.

The new measures put before the UN foresee cargo ship inspections and new banking controls.
Landmark deal

"Brazil and Turkey are convinced that it is time to give a chance for negotiations and to avoid measures that are detrimental to a peaceful solution of this matter," the foreign ministers of Brazil and Turkey said in the letter to the UN Security Council.

UN diplomats say that is an admonition to all sides, including Iran, not to over-react, and the P5 not to aggressively push for a vote on the sanctions resolution - so that there can be space and time for the Brazil-brokered deal to be implemented, says the BBC's UN Correspondent Barbara Plett.

On Monday, the three countries signed a deal in which Iran agreed to send low-enriched uranium to Turkey in return for enriched fuel for a research reactor.

Placing Iran's nuclear material in a third country was intended to act as a confidence-building measure by the major world powers to prevent Iran producing more highly-enriched, weapons-grade material.

A similar deal was suggested last year by the five permanent members of the Security Council - the US, France, UK, China and Russia - plus Germany, who have been negotiating with Iran over its nuclear programme.

But plans for a fourth set of UN sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme were circulated among all 15 members of the Security Council on Tuesday.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has dismissed Iran's deal as an attempt to deflect pressure. She said the five veto-wielding permanent members had agreed on a "strong" draft resolution.
Iran dismissal

A close adviser to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mojtaba Hashemi Samareh, has dismissed the new measures as illegitimate.

And the head of Iran's atomic energy organisation, Ali Akbar Salehi, has said newly-proposed sanctions on Iran will backfire.

"They won't prevail and by pursuing the passing of a new resolution they are discrediting themselves in public opinion," said Mr Salehi, who is also Iran's vice-president and the highest-ranking Iranian official to speak since the proposals were tabled.

"This [UN Security Council draft] resolution is the last effort by the West," he told Iran's semi-official news agency, Fars.

"They feel that for the first time in the world developing countries are able to defend their rights in the world arena without resorting to the major powers an that is very hard for them," he said.

Iran is also preparing a letter for the UN atomic watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, officially notifying them of their deal with Turkey, Mr Salehi said._________________We don't want the looneys taking over...

Even more dangerous if it's for a reason.
No-one wins out of a nuclear confrontion between Iran and the West (of-course), I just hope (did you see the news tonight me-old-mucker "Iran flys in foreign mercernaries etc."?) that the voices of moderation prevail on both sides.
Maybe however if those better illumined than ourseleves can extend the length of the Peaceful Use/Military Use debate as far as Iran is concerned it will help foster the illusion that there is any difference between the two.

Wed May 19, 2010 11:09 pm

Williamtheb

Joined: 21 Aug 2009Posts: 57

Post subject: Re: Iran 'agrees Turkey nuclear deal'

"Last year, Western powers proposed that Iran transfer its stockpiles of low-enriched uranium to Russia and France, who would process it into a form usable in a research reactor before returning it.The deal was an attempt to allow Iran the benefits of nuclear energy without the concern of it having weapons capabilities. But Tehran rejected the idea.*
The current talks with Brazil and Turkey, two non-nuclear states on friendly terms with Tehran, attempt to resurrect that plan.".....

..."The BBC's Iran correspondent Jon Leyne, reporting from London, says the country has given mixed messages about a fuel-swap deal.

He says officials have suggested they are still open to the idea, but have then imposed conditions that the West would not accept."

The White House said Mr Obama had acknowledged the deal set out by Turkey and Brazil.

But the US president "stressed the international community's continuing and fundamental concerns about Iran's overall nuclear programme, as well as Iran's failure to live up to its international obligations".

The statement added: "Further, he indicated that negotiations on a new UN Security Council resolution will continue."

It said Iran had persistently failed to meet the P5+1 countries - the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany - and had refused to halt uranium enrichment.

Brazil and Turkey had both earlier expressed disappointment that proposals for new sanctions had been tabled a day after Tehran agreed to the deal.

The new measures put before the UN foresee cargo ship inspections and new banking controls.

"Brazil and Turkey are convinced that it is time to give a chance for negotiations and to avoid measures that are detrimental to a peaceful solution of this matter," the foreign ministers of Brazil and Turkey earlier said in a letter to the UN Security Council.

On Monday, the three countries signed a deal in which Iran agreed to send low-enriched uranium to Turkey in return for enriched fuel for a research reactor.

Placing Iran's nuclear material in a third country was intended to act as a confidence-building measure by the major world powers to prevent Iran producing more highly-enriched, weapons-grade material.

A similar deal was suggested last year by the P5+1, who have been negotiating with Iran over its nuclear programme.

But plans for a fourth set of UN sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme were circulated among all 15 members of the Security Council on Tuesday.

A close adviser to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mojtaba Hashemi Samareh, dismissed the new measures as illegitimate.

The head of Iran's atomic energy organisation, Ali Akbar Salehi, said the sanctions on Iran would backfire.

"They won't prevail and by pursuing the passing of a new resolution they are discrediting themselves in public opinion," said Mr Salehi._________________We don't want the looneys taking over...

Thu May 20, 2010 5:55 am

Spike

Joined: 19 Aug 2005Posts: 435

Post subject: Iran hit by fresh UN nuclear sanctions threat

And now the official 'analysis' from our man most definitely not in Tehran, John Leyne

Page last updated at 21:28 GMT, Tuesday, 18 May 2010 22:28 UK

* E-mail this to a friend
* Printable version

By Jon Leyne BBC Tehran correspondent Aerial photo of Iran's Uranium Conversion Facility, taken 30/3/2005, file photo The US has been criticised for moving the goalposts on Iran

After months of deadlock, suddenly the diplomatic confrontation over Iran's nuclear programme has burst back into life.

On Monday, Iran signed a deal with Brazil and Turkey, under which a large part of Iran's stocks of enriched uranium would be shipped to Turkey in exchange for new fuel for a Tehran research reactor.

It was widely seen as a last-ditch effort by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to deflect pressure for fresh sanctions, a diplomatic coup possibly enabling him to slip out of the encircling net.

But despite that, on Tuesday US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced agreement among the permanent five members of the security council on a new draft UN Security Council resolution on sanctions.

It is not clear whether the 10 non-permanent members of the council will support the draft. They include Brazil and Turkey, who have both said new sanctions are not now necessary.

But Mrs Clinton's comments strongly suggest that the hard-won support of China and Russia for the sanctions has withstood the blandishments of Mr Ahmadinejad.

At the same time Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while calling on the world to give the deal a chance, warned Iran that if it did not deliver the fuel in one month, as agreed, it would be "on its own".
Efforts undermined

The state department spokesman seemed to suggest that only the suspension of uranium enrichment by Iran would be enough to stop the new sanctions.

A senior US official said the negotiations on a fuel swap were on a "separate track" from the discussions over sanctions - and the deal with Brazil and Turkey, while well intentioned, was "largely beside the point".

Turkey and Brazil may also feel disappointed that this rapid announcement by the US secretary of state undermines their effort to find a diplomatic solution.

The problem for the United States and its allies is that they are very keen to keep the pressure on Iran.

Any suggestion that they are willing to hold off on sanctions and the coalition, so tortuously assembled, might begin to fall apart.

The West would fear that it might also give Iran the option to play for time.

After all, they might argue, this latest deal was only won under threat of those very sanctions.
Uranium questions

The deal itself certainly leaves plenty of unanswered questions. The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), a Washington think tank, pointed to one of the most obvious.

What happens to Iran's enriched uranium, shipped to Turkey, if and when it gets the fuel for its research reactor?

Under the original deal negotiated in Geneva last October, it was that low-enriched uranium that would be converted to higher-grade fuel for the Tehran research reactor.

Under this deal, it just sits in Turkey, while France provides fresh fuel for the research reactor.

Nothing in the agreement stipulates whether or not Iran gets its low-enriched uranium back.

Another point made by the ISIS is that the situation has changed since the original deal in October.

At that time, 1,200kgs of uranium made up the bulk of Iran's stocks.

Shipping it out of the country provided a high measure of security that it could not be diverted to make a bomb.

But since then Iran has been busily enriching. It may now possess more than 2,000kgs of enriched uranium.

And what happens also to the higher grade uranium - 20% grade - that Iran says it has been producing itself for the Tehran reactor?

A more fundamental question is whether President Ahmadinejad can actually deliver on this deal.

Two previous attempts to reach a similar agreement fell apart, when Mr Ahmadinejad came under sustained criticism at home.

It was the clearest evidence of the weakening of his domestic political position following last summer's election dispute.
Hardline response

This time, reaction in hardline newspapers has been less negative but still mixed.

Iranian, Brazilian and Turkish foreign ministers brokered the deal

Jomhuri-e-Eslami, which is seen as a hardline supporter of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, said the deal was "an obvious backtrack from Iran's announced strategy.

It said: "This declaration is not a victory for Iran but it is an obvious backtrack against the bullying demands of the West and the Islamic Republic of Iran should not accept it."

By contrast Keyhan, also seen as close to the supreme leader, said Iran had not backtracked, but rather "gained the objective guarantee that it was seeking".

So even hardliners in Iran are divided. One can only imagine how much greater those divisions are likely to become if they see that the moment is approaching for Iran's hard-won uranium to be sent out of the country, particularly if sanctions are still on track.

Perhaps Mr Ahmadinejad himself is bluffing, reaching a deal he believes he will never actually have to implement.

In that case, Washington might decide the best course is to call his bluff and agree to the deal.
Key timing

Meanwhile in New York, US officials are confident they have the votes they need for new sanctions - in other words, they have the support of nine members of the security council, and no vetoes from the permanent members.

But Western officials have always stressed the need for as much support as possible, so as to send the strongest possible message to Tehran.

Abstentions or negative votes from powerful countries such as Turkey or Brazil would be very damaging.

Another issue is the timing.

It has always been assumed that no vote would come forward this month while Lebanon is chairing the Security Council, because of the influential role of Iran's Hezbollah allies in Lebanon.

If it does slip to June, then the Americans have to decide whether they feel a vote would be productive in the sensitive days running up to the first anniversary of Mr Ahmadinejad's re-election on 12 June.

So a deal, originally put forward as a confidence-building measure, risks just becoming a new source of bitter debate between Iran and the West._________________We don't want the looneys taking over...

Thu May 20, 2010 4:09 pm

Spike

Joined: 19 Aug 2005Posts: 435

Post subject:

Quote - "Last year, Western powers proposed that Iran transfer its stockpiles of low-enriched uranium to Russia and France, who would process it into a form usable in a research reactor before returning it.The deal was an attempt to allow Iran the benefits of nuclear energy without the concern of it having weapons capabilities. But Tehran rejected the idea.*
The current talks with Brazil and Turkey, two non-nuclear states on friendly terms with Tehran, attempt to resurrect that plan.".....

..."The BBC's Iran correspondent Jon Leyne, reporting from London, says the country has given mixed messages about a fuel-swap deal.

He says officials have suggested they are still open to the idea, but have then imposed conditions that the West would not accept."

That's what I'm talking about. -end quote

Sorry William B for being so rude, i wasn't ignoring your post, just didn't have time...

Are you saying that it's Iran that being intransigent here or a bit of both? They probably are trying to build some kind of bomb in my opinion, they'd be mad not to in a way, although it's ultimately gonna lead, either way, to war. I think all the talk earlier in the year about splits between Washington and Israel were manufactured to give the impression that Israel is an independent state actor, which would provide diplomatic cover for America et al in the event of a nuclear strike on Iran( by Israel). The ultimate targets are Russia and China who can't be attacked directly, and are therefore credible threats (in a geopolitical sense) to the west. How it'll be done, who knows, but they're all playing with fire. The senselessness of an all out fight for world dominance is shrouded behind a kind of high tech fantasy, especially in America where the cultural output (films/books/TV) seems to works as a prepping agent, so to speak, for the future actions of the state (in all it's guises). The problem is the fantasy is starting to take on the solidity of fact (take the recent synthesizing of a cell) and people in the research labs of the world are starting to believe that they really can control nature and be masters of the planet, gods in fact, if they want. The danger to us all of a general decision to fight nature, not live within it's boundaries is perhaps the scariest danger of all, worse even than nuclear war, because of the fundamental structural changes that such experiments wreak on the actual coding for life on this planet. In short, they don't have a clue about the consequences._________________We don't want the looneys taking over...

Sat May 22, 2010 10:41 am

Spike

Joined: 19 Aug 2005Posts: 435

Post subject:

Iran seeks prisoner swap involving three US 'hikers'

Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd, Joshua Fattal (file images) Tehran allowed the mothers of the the detainees to meet them last week

Iran's intelligence minister has called on Washington to propose a prisoner swap to secure the release of three US citizens arrested last July near the Iraq border.

Their families said they were hiking and strayed over the border accidentally.

Tehran allowed the mothers of the three detainees to meet them last week, but ignored repeated pleas for their release.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called for the three to be freed.

The case has further strained relations between Washington and Tehran, which are at loggerheads over Iran's nuclear programme.

"The status of these three Americans as spies is clear and explicit. There has been no discussion concerning a swap," Mr Moslehi said in comments reported by the semi-official Fars news agency.

"Our expectation is that the Americans, with their claim on human rights issues, should initiate an action so that we can decide on whether or not there would be one."
'Do the right thing'

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad suggested in an US TV interview last September that the Americans' release might be linked to the freeing of Iranian diplomats he said were being held by US forces in Iraq.

And the Iranians accuse the US Central Intelligence Agency of abducting one of their nuclear scientists while he was on pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia last year.

US state department spokesman PJ Crowley said last Thursday that Washington was not contemplating any kind of a prisoner swap.

"But if Iran has questions about any of its citizens and whether we have any information as to their whereabouts, we would be more than happy to receive that diplomatic note and respond to it," he said.

He described the three Americans as innocent tourists, adding: "It is time for Iran to do the right thing by releasing these three young Americans and allowing them to go home and be reunited with their families."_________________We don't want the looneys taking over...

Sun May 23, 2010 10:09 pm

Spike

Joined: 19 Aug 2005Posts: 435

Post subject: Hecklers interrupt Iran's President Ahmadinejad speech

Hecklers interrupt Iran's President Ahmadinejad speech

The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, experienced an unusual show of public discontent over his government's handling of the economy.

He was addressing a crowd of several hundred people in the south-western city of Khorramshahr.

But the speech was interrupted by a group shouting "We are unemployed!"

The president - whose public events are carefully controlled - calmly continued and did not seem distracted by the disruption.

Correspondents say Mr Ahmadinejad's speeches are regularly carried live on national TV where crowds more usually respond with slogans such as "God is Greatest" and "Death to America".

Iran's economy is suffering double-digit inflation and the official jobless rate stands at 11 percent. But the actual number of people looking for jobs is believed to be much higher.

President Ahmadinejad was in Khorramshahr to mark the city's liberation from Iraq in 1982, after an 18-month occupation during the Iraq-Iran war.

The town - affluent before the 1979 Islamic Revolution - has over the past decade complained of slow reconstruction and poor living standards._________________We don't want the looneys taking over...

Mon May 24, 2010 4:59 pm

Spike

Joined: 19 Aug 2005Posts: 435

Post subject: Iran submits nuclear deal with Turkey to IAEA

Iran submits nuclear deal

Iran has formally submitted a plan to swap nuclear material in Turkey for reactor fuel to the UN atomic watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency.

It has urged world leaders to agree to their deal.

But the proposal, brokered by Brazil and Turkey a week ago, was followed by a US announcement of a "strong draft" emerging on new sanctions on Iran.

So the plan appears unlikely to deter the US and its allies who believe Iran is trying to obtain a nuclear weapon.

The deal, brokered by Brazil, would see Iran hand over 1,200 kg of low-enriched nuclear material in Turkey.

They would then receive fuel rods for a research reactor in return.

The deal is similar to one offered by the US, the UK, France and Germany last year.

But the BBC's Bethany Bell in Vienna says the proposal does not address the demands of the UN Security Council that Iran should freeze its enrichment work.

Some Western governments have long suspected that Iran's nuclear programme is aimed at making weapons - a charge Tehran denies.
Warhead

When the first deal was offered, it was thought that Iran's ability to create the highly-enriched material necessary for a nuclear weapon could be limited if most of its low-enriched material were taken out of the country and replaced with already-processed reactor fuel.

But it has been reported that the US and its allies believe Iran has continued to enrich uranium since the deal was first offered in October, and that they may still have enough to make a nuclear warhead after the agreed amount was sent to Turkey for safekeeping.

Brazil and Turkey, who are currently on the Security Council, have urged fellow council members to heed a deal they struck with Iran over its nuclear programme on 17 May.

So far China and Russia have resisted further sanctions on Iran.

The text of the sanctions has been circulated to all 15 members of the Security Council, who will address it later in June.

The new sanction measures put before the UN propose cargo ship inspections and new banking controls._________________We don't want the looneys taking over...

Mon May 24, 2010 5:25 pm

Williamtheb

Joined: 21 Aug 2009Posts: 57

Post subject: Re: Iran 'agrees Turkey nuclear deal'

Williamtheb wrote:

"Last year, Western powers proposed that Iran transfer its stockpiles of low-enriched uranium to Russia and France, But Tehran rejected the idea.".......
"The current talks with Brazil and Turkey, two non-nuclear states on friendly terms with Tehran, attempt to resurrect that plan."*.....

That's what I'm talking about.

*Italics mine.

It is surely bad practice to conduct one's international nuclear diplomacy in such a way that following a cursory examination of the policy outlined above a cynic might ask, "why does it appear that two non-nuclear powers are being bribed to do this?"*

*Maybe to keep us guessing just long enough to instigate "global"* nuclearisation before going to war with militant Islam?

* Meaning "pals only" of-course.

Mon May 31, 2010 4:48 pm

Spike

Joined: 19 Aug 2005Posts: 435

Post subject: UN 'to adopt' fourth round of Iran nuclear sanctions

UN 'to adopt' fourth round of Iran nuclear sanctions

Page last updated at 00:10 GMT, Tuesday, 8 June 2010 01:10 UK

By Barbara Plett
BBC UN correspondent An IAEA inspector and Iranian technicians at the Isfahan Uranium Conversion Facilities in 2005 Iran says its nuclear programme is for purely civilian purposes

A resolution to impose a new round of sanctions on Iran is ready for a vote by the UN Security Council.

They target Tehran's nuclear programme, which Western nations suspect has military aims, claims Iran denies.

UN diplomats expect the resolution to be adopted by as early as midweek, even though some Security Council members may not support it.

The final version expands a limited arms embargo, and toughens financial restrictions and shipping inspections.

The exact timing of the vote depends on agreement of annexes listing individuals and entities subject to asset freezes and travel bans.

Diplomats say that could happen as early as Wednesday and there is little doubt the resolution will be adopted.

A number of states could abstain or vote against, but none of these have veto powers.

They include Turkey and Brazil, which say fresh sanctions would be counter-productive.

They argue that a nuclear fuel swap deal they brokered with Iran is a fresh opportunity for diplomacy.

At their request, the Council is expected to hold an extra meeting to discuss Iran ahead of the vote._________________We don't want the looneys taking over...

Tue Jun 08, 2010 6:57 am

Spike

Joined: 19 Aug 2005Posts: 435

Post subject: Ahmadinejad defiant ahead of UN nuclear sanctions vote

Ahmadinejad defiant ahead of UN nuclear sanctions vote

Page last updated at 14:33 GMT, Tuesday, 8 June 2010 15:33 UK

* E-mail this to a friend
* Printable version

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (R) shakes hands with Turkish President Abdullah Gul in Istanbul on 7 June 2010 Iran's president (R) had a warm welcome from his Turkish counterpart

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has warned Iran will not agree to talks on its nuclear programme if a fourth round of UN sanctions are imposed this week.

He also said a nuclear fuel-swap deal brokered by Turkey and Brazil was an offer that would not be repeated.

Mr Ahmadinejad urged Russia not to side with Iran's enemies and said the US would lose if new measures were passed.

The sanctions would tighten financial curbs and shipping inspections on Iran, and expand a limited arms embargo.

Diplomats expect the vote to happen as early as Wednesday and there is little doubt the resolution will be adopted, says the BBC's Barbara Plett, at the UN.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates and his British counterpart Liam Fox, who held talks in London, said they were confident the approval would come soon.
Putin meeting

Mr Ahmadinejad, speaking on Tuesday in Istanbul where he is attending a regional summit, said that if the US did not change its position "the first ones to lose would be President Obama and the people of the United States".
Continue reading the main story

If the American government and its allies think that they can raise a baton called a resolution and then sit and talk to us, they are strongly mistaken

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Iran President New sanctions will not deter Iran UN sanctions against Tehran

Mr Ahmadinejad also urged Russia to be "careful not to be beside the enemies of the Iranian people".

Although Moscow has often cautioned against tough action on Iran, it is backing the current draft UN resolution.

Mr Ahmadinejad is expected to hold talks later on Tuesday with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who is also attending the summit in Turkey.

The Iranian leader added: "I have said that if the American government and its allies think that they can raise a baton called a resolution and then sit and talk to us, they are strongly mistaken."

Mr Ahmadinejad will travel to China on Friday and visit the World Expo in Shanghai, Beijing's foreign ministry said, but it is not clear if he will hold any talks with Chinese leaders.

Labelling it a "fake, Zionist regime", he said it had started the "countdown to its destruction" through its attack last week on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.

Iran - which denies its nuclear programme has military aims - agreed in May to deposit 1,200kg of low-enriched uranium with Turkey, in return for reactor fuel.

But Western powers said the agreement was too little too late.

The draft resolution includes the following proposals:

* Prohibiting Iran from buying several categories of heavy weapons including attack helicopters and missiles
* Urging all states to inspect cargo suspected of containing banned items to and from Iran in their territory, including seaports and airports
* Calls on countries to block financial transactions and ban the licensing of Iranian banks if they suspect a link to nuclear activities

Turkey, Brazil and Lebanon are not expected to back this week's proposed UN resolution, but none of them has a veto.

Western diplomats expect 12 countries, including all five veto-holding permanent council members, to vote for the measure._________________We don't want the looneys taking over...

Tue Jun 08, 2010 4:10 pm

Spike

Joined: 19 Aug 2005Posts: 435

Post subject: Videos deepen mystery over Iran nuclear scientist Amiri

Videos deepen mystery over Iran nuclear scientist Amiri

Page last updated at 11:33 GMT, Tuesday, 8 June 2010 12:33 UK

* E-mail this to a friend
* Printable version

Screen grabs from the two videos, Iranian TV (l) and YouTube (r) The Iranian TV clip was broadcast first and found its way onto YouTube, then the other clip appeared

The Iranian government says it has evidence that one of its nuclear scientists was abducted and is being held in the US against his will.

Shahram Amiri disappeared a year ago while on a pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

Iranian television broadcast a video purporting to show the scientist saying he was kidnapped and is now living in Arizona.

Hours later, another video posted on YouTube appeared to show Mr Amiri saying he was happy in the US.

Mr Amiri worked as a researcher at a university in Tehran, Iranian media reported.

But other reports said he worked for the country's Atomic Energy Organisation and had in-depth knowledge of the country's nuclear programme.
'Drugged'

In the video shown on the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting network, the man says he was forced to say he defected with a laptop full of evidence about Iran's nuclear secrets and that he was being used to put pressure on Iran.

The video showed a man wearing headphones and talking to his webcam.

He says he was in the Saudi city of Medina as part of a Muslim pilgrimage when Saudi intelligence officers drugged and kidnapped him.

"When I became conscious, I found myself in a plane on the way to the US," he was quoted as saying by Associated Press news agency.

"Since I was abducted and brought to the US I was heavily tortured and pressured by US intelligence."

The man said the recording was made on 5 April in the city of Tucson, in Arizona.
'Free and safe'

In the video posted on YouTube, however, the man says he lives safely in the city and wants to continue his education in the US.
Continue reading the main story

"I am free here and I assure everyone I am safe," he said in Farsi. The clip was posted on 7 June.

"My purpose in today's conversation is to put an end to all the rumours that have been levelled at me over the past year. I am Iranian and I have not taken any steps against my homeland."

The BBC's Jon Leyne says neither video is entirely convincing.

The Iranian government version is poor quality with the possibility that it's been manipulated.

In the YouTube video the man claiming to be Shahram Amiri looks frequently beyond the camera, apparently reading a not very well written script, our correspondent says.

Neither the US nor the Saudi Arabian governments have made any comment on the allegations that he was abducted and taken to the US.

In March US news channel ABC ran a report that said Mr Amiri had defected and was helping the US compile intelligence on Iran's nuclear weapons programme.

The US and its allies believe Iran is trying to acquire a nuclear weapon, but Tehran denies the charge._________________We don't want the looneys taking over...

Tue Jun 08, 2010 4:15 pm

Williamtheb

Joined: 21 Aug 2009Posts: 57

Post subject:

"they'd be mad not to in a way".... (I don't think insanity is going to be a problem for them)..... "although it's ultimately gonna lead, either way, to war. I think all the talk earlier in the year about splits between Washington and Israel were manufactured to give the impression that Israel is an independent state actor, which would provide diplomatic cover for America et al in the event of a nuclear strike on Iran( by Israel). The ultimate targets are Russia and China who can't be attacked directly, and are therefore credible threats (in a geopolitical sense) to the west. How it'll be done, who knows, but they're all playing with fire. The senselessness of an all out fight for world dominance is shrouded behind a kind of high tech fantasy, especially in America where the cultural output (films/books/TV) seems to works as a prepping agent, so to speak, for the future actions of the state (in all it's guises). The problem is the fantasy is starting to take on the solidity of fact (take the recent synthesizing of a cell) and people in the research labs of the world are starting to believe that they really can control nature and be masters of the planet, gods in fact, if they want. The danger to us all of a general decision to fight nature, not live within it's boundaries is perhaps the scariest danger of all, worse even than nuclear war, because of the fundamental structural changes that such experiments wreak on the actual coding for life on this planet. In short, they don't have a clue about the consequences."

Ah the necessary fantasy yes indeed!

Wed Jun 09, 2010 4:43 pm

Spike

Joined: 19 Aug 2005Posts: 435

Post subject:

Quote:

It is surely bad practice to conduct one's international nuclear diplomacy in such a way that following a cursory examination of the policy outlined above a cynic might ask, "why does it appear that two non-nuclear powers are being bribed to do this?"*

*Maybe to keep us guessing just long enough to instigate "global"* nuclearisation before going to war with militant Islam?

* Meaning "pals only" of-course.

You might be right about that, it's certainly the logical next step for Brazil, although it's hard to see the U.S. tolerating even an allied nuclear power within it's so-called backyard._________________We don't want the looneys taking over...

Thu Jun 10, 2010 2:00 pm

Spike

Joined: 19 Aug 2005Posts: 435

Post subject:

UN votes for new sanctions on Iran over nuclear issue

Page last updated at 17:57 GMT, Wednesday, 9 June 2010 18:57 UK

President Obama said the new sanctions sent an "unmistakable message"

The UN Security Council has voted in favour of fresh sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme.

The council voted 12 to two, with one abstention, in favour of a fourth round of sanctions, including tighter finance curbs and an expanded arms embargo.

US President Barack Obama said the sanctions were an unmistakable message on stopping the spread of nuclear arms.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the sanctions should be thrown in the dustbin like a "used handkerchief".

The US and its allies fear Iran is secretly trying to build a nuclear bomb, but Tehran insists its programme is aimed solely at peaceful energy use.
Heavy weapons

The Security Council resolution was opposed by Turkey and Brazil. They had earlier brokered a deal with Iran on uranium enrichment. Lebanon abstained.

ANALYSIS

Barbara Plett,
BBC UN correspondent

The sanctions are tough but fall short of what Western nations wanted because of pressure from Iran's allies Russia and China. However, they do open the way for stronger measures by the US and European states.

But council members Turkey and Brazil said any sanctions at this moment were counter-productive and insisted Iran had made concessions in a recent agreement they brokered.

The two "no" votes were the strongest opposition yet in four rounds of sanctions, weakening international unity the Americans have tried to build to isolate Iran.

Last resort or lost opportunity?

The new sanctions were passed after being watered down during negotiations with Russia and China on Tuesday.

There are no crippling economic sanctions and there is no oil embargo.

Those passed include prohibiting Iran from buying heavy weapons such as attack helicopters and missiles.

They also toughen rules on financial transactions with Iranian banks and increase the number of Iranian individuals and companies that are targeted with asset freezes and travel bans.

There is also a new framework of cargo inspections to detect and stop Iran's acquisition of illicit materials.

But he said the sanctions did "not close the door on diplomacy" and he urged Iran to "choose a different and better path".

Mr Ahmadinejad was quoted by Iran's Isna news agency as saying: "I gave one of the [world powers] a message that the resolutions you issue are like a used handkerchief which should be thrown in the dustbin. They are not capable of hurting Iranians."

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said the decision sent a "strong statement of international resolve", increasing the pressure on Iran to meet its obligations.

China's UN ambassador Zhang Yesui said the sanctions were trying to prevent nuclear proliferation and would not hurt "the normal life of the Iranian people".

However, both Turkey and Brazil spoke out in opposition, saying the deal they brokered with Iran had not been given time.

Brazilian ambassador to the UN Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti said: "We do not see sanctions as an effective instrument in this case. They will most probably lead to the suffering of the people of Iran and will play into the hands of people on all sides who do not want dialogue to prevail."

Turkey's envoy Ertugrul Apakan said the Turkey-Brazil deal had created "a new reality" on Iran's nuclear programme and Turkey was "deeply concerned" that sanctions would have a negative impact.
HOW THE COUNCIL VOTED
ry

* Non-permanent: Brazil and Turkey. Had both brokered a deal with Iran in which Tehran would send low-enriched uranium to Turkey in return for reactor fuel

ABSTAINED

* Non permanent: Lebanon. Had voiced opposition to the sanctions. Iran-backed Hezbollah is part of the government

Prof Abbas Edalat, the founder of the Campaign against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran, told BBC Radio 4's PM programme that the sanctions would make "everything worse".

He said: "What the US has done has proved conclusively beyond any doubt that it is not interested in negotiations with Iran... There has been massive hypocrisy here."

The BBC News website's world affairs correspondent, Paul Reynolds, says this new round of sanctions is unlikely to have any more effect on Iranian policy than the first three.

Iran's vital economic interests have not been targeted, he says, and Tehran has in any case developed systems of evasion.

The deal Iran had earlier agreed with Turkey and Brazil would see Tehran deposit 1,200kg of low-enriched uranium with Turkey in return for reactor fuel.

But the deal has not been accepted by world powers and on Wednesday, the US, Russia and France outlined their concerns in letters to the IAEA.

The letters were not made public, but US envoy to the IAEA Glyn Davies said the deal "would still leave Iran with substantial stocks [of low-enriched uranium], decreasing the confidence-building value of the original proposal".

Three earlier rounds of UN sanctions blocked trade of "sensitive nuclear material", froze the financial assets of those involved in Iran's nuclear activities, banned all of Iran's arms exports and encouraged scrutiny of the dealings of Iranian banks._________________We don't want the looneys taking over...